---
title: What Does It Take to Be a Medical Editor? Skills and Career Paths
description: Learn what medical editors do, the skills they need, where they work, and career paths in medical editing.
image: https://blog.amwa.org/hubfs/Blog/What-Does-It-Take-to-be-a-Medical-Editor-Exploring-Editing-Careers.jpg
---
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# What Does It Take to Be a Medical Editor? Skills and Career Paths
What Does It Take to Be a Medical Editor? Skills and Career Paths
5:21
Every quality document benefits from the attention of a thorough editor, and medical and scientific documents require extra care to uphold scientific rigor.
## What Medical Editors Do
[Medical editors](https://info.amwa.org/a-comprehensive-guide-to-medical-editing#what_is_medical_editing) help ensure that medical and scientific documents convey complex information accurately, consistently, and clearly. Their work spans a variety of settings, including health care organizations, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, publishers, research organizations, and academic institutions.
They edit documents created by scientists, academics, corporations, manufacturers, medical publishers, and medical communication agencies. Some also work for individual authors or investigators, contract research organizations, or scientific and medical journals.
## **Skills Medical Editors Need**
Research on the competencies of scientific editors provides insight into skills relevant to medical editing. A 2017 consensus statement identified [14 key competencies](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5592713/) for scientific editors of biomedical journals. These include the ability to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the field addressed in the journal.
- Synthesize information and views from a variety of sources.
- Communicate effectively and maintain professional relationships with authors, reviewers, editors, and others.
- Understand ethics in research and publishing and how to respond to breaches.
- Assess the scientific quality and integrity of documents and make informed editorial decisions.
- Oversee the peer review process, ensuring its integrity.
A 2018 commentary from authors’ editors suggested that these competencies could also be strengthened by emphasizing useful feedback on language and writing and the ability to address inappropriate text reuse and plagiarism.
Medical editors also commonly draw on their intellectual curiosity, strong organizational abilities, and editorial expertise to improve the quality of scientific publications.
## **Types of Medical Editing**
Medical editors may perform different types of editing depending on the publication, organization, and purpose of the content. The level of editing can range from correcting grammar and style to evaluating the organization, clarity, and scientific content of a document.
AMWA provides more information about [common types of medical editing](https://info.amwa.org/a-comprehensive-guide-to-medical-editing#editing_roles), including:
- Copy editing
- General editing
- Substantive editing
- Analytical editing
## **Career Paths for Medical Editors**
The skills and experience required for medical editing positions depend on the type of organization and specific role. Academic institutions, journals and publishers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and medical communication agencies may look for different combinations of copy editing, substantive editing, analytical, and publication management skills.
### **Common Medical Editing Positions**
[Medical editor career paths often vary](https://info.amwa.org/a-comprehensive-guide-to-medical-editing#career_paths) by organization and experience level. Some editors may begin in positions such as editorial assistant or copy editor and advance to roles such as assistant medical or scientific editor, associate editor, or senior editor.
Common positions at scientific and medical journals and book publishers include:
- Content editor
- Manuscript editor or author’s editor
- Copy editor
- Assistant editor, deputy editor, or associate editor
- Editor-in-chief
- Managing editor
- Production editor
- Developmental editor
- Proofreader
## **The Medical Editor’s Mindset**
Successful medical editors often work to understand the science and the message behind every word, sentence, section, and figure. By doing so, they help authors and scientists express their ideas with clarity and precision.
- “Could this sentence be better?”
- “Does this paragraph belong here?”
- “Is this the author’s intent?”
- “Does this make sense for the patient?”
That question can be especially important when editing information intended to inform clinical practice. Clear, accurate communication helps clinicians understand new information and consider how to apply it appropriately in patient care.
Medical editors also need to stay current with developments in medical communication and publishing and continue building their skills and knowledge. For beginning- to mid-level medical communicators looking to strengthen their editing skills, [AMWA’s Certificate in Medical Editing](https://amwa.mycrowdwisdom.com/cw/course-details?entryId=14219083&itemId=692814&subscribed=false) is designed to help enhance and fine-tune those skills.
## **Resources for Medical Editors**
Medical editors can use checklists to help identify errors and confirm that documents meet applicable publication guidelines.[AMWA’s Medical Editing Checklist](https://info.amwa.org/medical-editing-checklist-download) is a tool that covers the basics of macro editing, micro editing, and proofreading.
Another resource is [AMWA’s Comprehensive Guide to Medical Editing](https://info.amwa.org/a-comprehensive-guide-to-medical-editing).
Whether you are considering a career in medical editing or continuing to develop your skills, these resources can help you strengthen your editing practices and contribute to clear, accurate medical communication.
*AMWA acknowledges the contributions of Jill Sellers, BSPharm, PharmD, RPh, for peer review in the development of this AMWA resource.*
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/5184792/93938889-794d-4acc-9d6d-1eaa5a7c41ce)
Categories: [Career development](https://blog.amwa.org/tag/career-development)
October 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM
#### [American Medical Writers Association](https://blog.amwa.org/author/american-medical-writers-association)
AMWA is the leading resource for medical communicators. The AMWA Blog is developed in partnership with community members who work every day to create clear communications that lead to better health and well-being.
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